


The Discography of a Love Story

by wheelsupchb



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: 90's Music, Bickering, F/M, Frenemies, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, I'll make Spencer Reid a DILF even if its the last thing i do, Long-Term Relationship(s), Major Original Character(s), Math dorks and nerds, Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), Soulmates, Summer Love, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teenager Spencer Reid, and he WILL, friends to lovers to strangers to lovers again, required love they're just two idiots, spencer reid deserve to be happy, this is me in range for s8 enough to say fck it i do it myself
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:42:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27760096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheelsupchb/pseuds/wheelsupchb
Summary: "Love may not be ordinary,  but it can be found at common places. It doesn't have to be epical you see, it doesn't have anything to do with the moon or the stars, or always have to be a matter of life and death. Love, my dear readers, is dumb luck"When a 14 year old Spencer Reid joined a extension program project - that could also be easily called summer camp for restless minds - he did not expect that between math problems and numbers he would meet the love of his life.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 23





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> \- you don't have to watch the show to read it since its pre canon  
> \- most characters aren't mine  
> \- i wrote it in a pure range to s8 storyline which i absolutely detest enough to pass my quarantine time thinking and writing this story  
> \- i'm not native english speaker and sometimes the chapthers won't be beta so you have to deal with my mistakes like i do everyday of my life  
> \- thats it, hope y'all enjoy <3

_"In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece, preceding the theme or lyrics. In popular music, this is often known as the song intro or just the intro. The introduction establishes melodic, harmonic or rhythmic material related to the main body of a piece."_

See, I've learned before and I feel the need to share that love isn't something ordinary. It could be cliché, but it's never ordinary. Love is what makes an everyday routine a fairytale. However I also think that, if you want a extraordinary love story, you have to make it with two extraordinary characters - and I never met such remarkable people as the couple I'm about to tell you, and for that I will move to their lives, and in the end you're probably going to agree with me. 

It all started in the summer of 1995, when MIT and Harvard had the great idea of gathering all their greatest young minds in a camp full of tasks and intellectual activities for the uneasy and restless brain of young geniuses like their students. Most of them were men I'm afraid, but three girls shared the experience - even tho the rest of their camp fellows were terribly terrified to come closer.

Specially by Miss Amber Crawley - about to get her doctorate on math actually, even though she was only 15 at the time. Regardless of beating every single scrawny ass on the very first task - a strategic game of paintball if you're wondering - the girl was not only brilliant enough to get into this exclusive camp, she also had grown to be a fair fine young woman with the charming remaining english accent in which she moved out when she got accepted at Harvard mathematics school. Truth be told, she was raised learning how to shoot with her father, and that obviously gave her the advantage for this mission - but no one knew that, and Amber really enjoyed the feeling of being both lowkey hated and admired at the same time. 

Now I shall do a little anecdote, will be fast I promise - love may not be ordinary, but it can be found at common places. It doesn't have to be epical you see, it doesn't have anything to do with the moon or the stars, or always have to be a matter of life and death. Love, my dear readers, is dumb luck - and, as you read this story, you will also find to be hope, but this is a subject for another chapter - as waiting in the same line for a treat at dinner. And that, is how our characters met: 

\- You're the skinny kid from hall 3 right? - she asks, and you soon will realise by this she couldn't really miss a chance to remind everyone she was the great winner of the night. But, she was only 15 as I said, and sometimes you have to pardon the arrogance of a teenager. 

\- You... You remember me? - and that, dear watchers, were their very first words. I had to stop here cause first words are always important to me, no idea why. I guess for the moment when you didn't know how much important this person would be for you, how destroyed or how perfectly they would make you feel, and you're both just strangers. I also had the need to stop here to present our very own charming prince, the possible reason why you're clicked here in first place, Spencer Reid (who else would be the other genius on this story right?). There just a 14 year-old boy, four months to complete 15, with glasses suitable only for the 90s and short cut hair, still wearing clothes he probably inherited from his grandfather. 

Needless to say, Amber was not impressed at first sight - specially because after she turned 12, she learned how appearance matters, but that is also another subject for later. 

\- Of course. - she lied. - You never forget the face of the man you just shoot, even if it's only paintball. - effect, and probably a movie reference. 

\- Yes sure but you shoot like 20 of me. - he stated. 

\- Yeah perhaps you're right, you're may be the scrawny one from hall 5.

\- 7. 

\- See? Almost.

\- For a math genius your concept of almost on numbers is incredibly wrong. - now _there_ , there he got Amber's attention. 

\- Excuse me, don't doubt my math knowledge just because I've beat you tonight.

\- On a task that is essentially p.e. in which I'm sure most here have failed. Better luck tomorrow when the missions actually involve some brain work.

Now, you may find this approach to be rather cruel for nothing. But 1. They were teenagers, and sometimes you just want to show some witty and 2. Spencer may or may not have seen Amber before carrying her bags to her cabin, walking like she own the place and he may have realised her behaviour ( ~~I know, I KNOW, is this a m*therfucking canon reference???~~ ) after the paintball winning and he really had enough of mean girls in his high school to pretend he's kind for their type now. He also noticed something more, but that is, again, a matter for later this chapter. And finally, 3. when you're around equals when you're teen, you get confidence to be unnecessary loud and extra.

\- Is that a bet? - she dares.

\- Maybe. On what?

\- That I'm going to serve your ass to you tomorrow. - then she gave a little thought. - and perhaps a pack of candy. 

\- Deal. - and it settled their childish rivalry. 


	2. Hotel California (by Eagles, 1976)

"There she stood in the doorway/ And I was thinking to myself: this could be heaven or this could be hell" 

Thing is, tasks were all secret and therefore no one could know which one would be next. So let's say it was the destiny - some writing from above - that made the next mission to be a poker game. And I think by now if you're close to the show enough to come and read this, you know Spencer Reid has more poker skills than Lady Gaga would ever dream of. The boy got thrilled when they announced it would be poker night, and rejoiced prematurely his winning. 

He wasn't naive to believe the british girl wouldn't be an issue tho, and she really was. He later figures to never dare Amber to do something if you're not friends with her, otherwise you would battle a great fight indeed. The whole thing took four hours and ten minutes to finally end, they both beated everyone until the final game when it was just them. Spencer soon figured the girl had a tell, and to win over her completely he made a little manipulation. 

When she put down the cards and was clearly triumphant, he showed his fourth As and eights, declaring himself winning. In the middle of commemoration and congratulations he received right after, he could not stop staring at her disbelief. 

\- It was a great game. - she admitted later, when he found her outside smoking a cigarette. 

\- It was. - but then he couldn't help himself - Specially cause you had, what was the term you used? Your ass served to you.

She just rolled her brown eyes to that, but she was a fair loser, and take it. 

\- Very well smartass, what do you want? 

\- What do you mean?

\- We bet didn't we? And you won, but you didn't say what you wanted. 

Thing is, Spencer didn't actually wanted a prize, he just wanted to win over her, and clarify that by saying: 

\- Maybe all I wanted was to prove to you to be a little less arrogant could be also a way to assure dominance. I mean you're one of the three girls in a camp full of skinny nerds terrified of coming close you. You don't have to be the mean girl just because now you can, and if I were you and was given the opportunity I'd do something different just to prove to anyone that it can be done.

The girl stared at him, leaving the cigarette light out. 

\- ...Did you win over me to make this stupid speech on how I should be nicer and act less superior while _you're_ being the one acting superior? 

He blinked in response. 

\- Well I had to try.

\- That was pathetic. - she said, stepping the butt and activating her arrogant mode at the maximum - Thank you for sharing this glorious moment I so need advice from you on how to be-

\- Look, I just wanted to tell you what I think you should hear. - he stopped her, and maybe was for the good, otherwise they wouldn't have their redemption. - If you're going to use this to be more of a bitch I'm not interested. - (he regretted saying she was a bitch to her face the second he pulled it out, but he wasn't lying) - It was indeed a great game and for that I'm thankful. Now good night. 

\- Well and I'm not sorry for your fragile masculinity. - she commented. 

\- And I'm not sorry for your crying hurt ego after I beat you on cards. - he gave it right back, in which she wasn't expecting.

\- ... Double on the next task? - she tried, without even fully aware of why. She just didn't want him to leave, not yet. 

\- Oh no. We can bet on something else and let the tasks alone, - he added - otherwise this entire camp will be you and I betting against each other. You see how easy it was for us to beat each one until we were the finals left. I really think the others deserve a chance too. - he couldn't hold a smile, proud of his internal joke. But soon thought of himself awkward, so he turned to leave again only to be stopped by her calling:

\- I still don't know your name tho. Or you rather nosey scrawny f*cker from poker night? 

He sighed.

\- You really are annoyingly mean, do you know that? - but she pretend she didn't hear it

\- Name?

\- Spencer. Spencer Reid. And you?

\- Amber. Amber Elizabeth Crawley. 

\- That's a predictable name for someone with an accent like yours. 

\- Bit of cliche I'm aware, so just call me Crawley. 

\- Really, so even after everything we're not first name based? - Spencer cursed himself internally, but it made her smile, showing her braces with purple elastics, being probably the first truly and spontaneous smile he ever saw on her. 

\- Not that fast, wonder boy. Try to buy me dinner first. - she says, but before Spencer could answer she turned right to the corner of the main house and lost at sight, left a very red Spencer, all blushing.


	3. Forever Young (by Alphaville, 1984)

_"Sooner or later they all will be gone_   
_Why don't they stay young_

_It's so hard to get old without a cause  
I don't want to perish like a fading horse"_

The days following were rather calm and had more and more exciting tasks, in which our characters did without intention of winning but rather learning and just participating. On times off, they walk together and bet against each other on trivial matters, either having random conversations such as:

\- What would happen if we send a werewolf to the moon? - Amber wondered one day when they were at the library and found the Cycle of the Werewolf.

\- They would blow up from lack of oxygen. - Spencer stated the obvious, clearly didn't getting the wonder ideia. 

\- Oh my god I didn't say we would send him without proper equipment, you monster! - she joked, and that actually led to a thirty minutes discussion on what would happen if we sent a werewolf to the moon. 

But they also had meaningful - no, that's not the word. I believe every talk they had was meaningful, cause yes, knowing what a person think would happen if you send a werewolf to the moon truly spoke from their state of mind. Wouldn't be "significant" either. I think the word would be "personal" or even "deep" conversations. As in "what do you want to do for living" or "are you afraid of dying?" somehow our characters manage to put both into the same conversation:

\- Do you ever think about what you want to work with? - Amber asked one day when they were betting against each other on who would throw stones further on the lake. Spencer didn't have any skills at first but learned as he watched Amber do it.

He found out later she grew up studying in London, but living in a country house with a lake and miles of grass to walk in, learning how to hunt and riding horses - "so you're basically Elizabeth Bennett" "gosh I wish!" - between books and riddles her parents wanted her to learn, to "try to make her brain useful to them". 

\- Don't really know yet. - Spencer answered, throwing the little stone through the surface of the lake to a pretty good distance. - All I know is that I want to help people, that's for sure. So I'm learning as much as I can to help. 

\- And who exactly are you trying to help?

\- What do you mean?

\- Usually when a person says they want to help people, without clarifying how, it's because they have a very specific someone they want to save, but don't know how to. It's either themselves or someone else. So, who are you trying to help?

Spencer studied Amber's face before answering - from his point of view, people make a personal question for two reasons: either they want to gossip, or they want to know you. Truth is Spencer never saw the second one with true honesty in a person that wasn't his mom, but he knew enough to spot the difference. And Amber's face told him she was the second type, however, he decided to not tell her. Just not yet.

\- Honestly Amber I think you should revise your knowledge in human nature. - he advised, throwing another rock hoping she doesn't insist. And when she didn't, he kept wondering with himself how she would react with the truth. - But what about you? What did you write in your end high school essay? 

\- How leaving high school was the best memory I had from it. - she joked, even tho leaving was indeed her best memory from those untoward years. - But about the career thing, I think that's one of the many things we differ. You probably think that changing the world for a single person and being remembered by this one human being for it is enough, whereas I want to shake the entire world on their basis and maybe have a physics law named after me. 

\- That's humble. - he commented. - Here's my psychological view on you: you're deeply afraid of dying. 

\- No I'm not! - Amber stated, although she was, in fact, deeply afraid of dying. - And for your concern, geniuses like us usually last until 22, at best 27, and I want what I can get from life. - she lied - Is wanting to be remembered something that bad? Is being ambitious your base to say that someone is afraid of death? 

\- Doing something worthwhile with your life or dreaming about your career is one thing, the other completely different is wanting every living soul that walks and will walk this Earth to know your name and what you do. And that is how your fear is showed. - he explained, and Amber didn't even think about contesting, specially cause she didn't have any good arguments to do so. She thought to herself at that moment how annoyingly was when a person that hardly knows you can read you as the pages of their favourite book, with recognition, with familiarity. These thoughts then made her fast mind go to a place she shut down immediately, but you will see it would come to hunt her again. 

\- So this means you aren't afraid of death, huh? - she tried, hoping he didn't read minds too.

\- I do enjoy being alive.

\- That's not what I asked. Wanting to die and not being afraid of dying are two different things. - she said, taking the turn of being a smartass, throwing a stone above the lake and watching it swim into it after a long way. That made her win their bet, but neither of them was actually gaining anything with it. They had a winning system in which each bet was a star on the sky, and of course they knew exactly which star was whose. - And as you stated, I'm an expert in this subject.

\- I guess I have way more things to worry about than my own death. - Spencer responded finally.

\- Like the person you want to save? - she commented naturally, without thinking, but it made him feel painfully exposed. 

\- Yes. - he murmured. - How did you figure?

As natural as she said before, Amber answered: 

\- We’re similar enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't know if i ever said yet but every chapter will have a song tied to it - sometimes not the whole song but just the part of the lyric i quoted is meaninfull and made me remember of what I wrote, and that's why the story name is discography. Anyway thanks for the three ppl that is reading this i hope you enjoyed <3


	4. True Colors (by Cyndi Lauper 1986)

_"You with the sad eyes_   
_Don't be discouraged_

_[...] But I see your true colors_   
_Shining through"_

Since Amber Crawley isn't a canon character - and thank gods they would have killed her off or some shit to give more trauma to Spencer - I think there's a need to explain herself since she only lived in my mind until a few weeks ago. Before I create any character I think of three settle bases for them, three found stones to build them, and with our british genius I settle she had to be conventional intelligent - which was already showed and pretty obvious - I also settle that, because she is highly smart, she would carry a loneliness that would made her brutally independent, and that may explain why Amber could be harsh and rude for no reason - cause sometimes you're so comfortable with your independence that you forget that people need people, specially when you're young like she was at the beginning of this story. Thing is, once she got attached to someone she actually put an effort to be at least amiable - and by near end of camp Spencer pointed it: 

\- You're been really nice these days. - he said, almost surprised, when Amber spontaneously handled a can of water to him on a particularly hot afternoon.

\- I can punch you on the face if you want to. - she answers, tho he knew by now she would never, so he just smiled. - First of all it isn't because of you, I found that being mean is rather exhausting. Makes me wonder how high schoolers can do it. 

\- You're not just being polite, Star Girl - Spencer gave this nickname to Amber after realising how many star theme stuff she owned and wore (and he didn't even saw her real bedroom by then) - I knew it was all an act.

\- Oh did you? - she may not be truly mean, but sarcasm has always been a characteristic of smart people, and with Amber could not be different. - And what exactly gave you such impression? 

\- You have sad eyes. - he said, as calmly as he gives stats. He didn't mean anatomically, you see, he meant she looks blue out of nowhere when she thinks no one is looking. He noticed it even before she spoke to him. - That's how I know you aren't truly mean. - he then waited for a common witty response, but what she did was stare at him as if she was seeing him for the first time.

\- You...You pay attention to me? 

Spencer found the question amusing, but by her countenance he couldn't laugh, and started to think if what he just said was weird enough to finally make her move away, in which he was expecting to happen with some fear and a bit of resilience for all the times before people did that. Between us, yes, Spencer did pay attention to her more than he should, glance at her across rooms not necessary when she was looking back, maybe even stupidly stare at her when she was reading when he himself should be reading too. But sure, she being cute may be one of the reasons, and friends look at each other sometimes right? I mean, Amber did the very same to him and he always pretended he didn't notice so it's okay.. right? 

\- Shouldn't I? - he questioned. 

\- I... - Amber tried, but although she is smart enough to understand what is happening, she isn't yet used to those situations to not be speechless. - I- I see you at dinner. - and once again leave a very red Spencer, not sure if he knows what just happened

But you see, it's frightening when you realise, especially when it's your first time, that you actually have romantic feelings for a friend. The third and final found stone I think for Amber's character is that, when she got to be mature enough which clearly isn't now, she feels with all of her brains. Her emotions are usually rationalised, tho when you're a teenager I found one can lead all their characteristics to an exaggeration. Before the camp her physical desires were satisfied by average intelligent boys she used in the most practical way possible - without emotions nor connections. Honestly it wasn't a problem until she met an equal that has touched her without the need of hands to do so. 

So I must advance to say the next final days were rather awkward, and every moment built and encouraged more hope at her beating heart. I must add too, if it wasn't obvious for Amber's description or their last documented talk, he was falling as well. He was since he noticed the cute girl who walks in rooms like she was the boss, he had cracked even more when she almost outsmarted him on cards, and was going deeper and deeper as a hopeless love mess in every moment they shared.

But they weren't that easy, I'm afraid to say. Even though they were only 15/14 and should be rather simple, they both had their difficulties. Amber didn't want to ruin her first actual friendship - is always this argument huh? - and her family makes it pretty easy to understand why she's defensive and arrogant for no reason when she could be kind. And Spencer, well, the boy had so much trouble rounding around his head already that he also became a doctor in not taking the hint. 

So you see the bloody tragedy of all this: even without notice she was his sun - bright, radiant, the earth needed her - he looked at her as if she had put the earth at its course; while she looked at him the same way she looked at the stars at night, and for her he was the personification of the feeling when she stares the sky - comforting, peacefully, warm - but they both think the other is looking at the ground. 

They exchange numbers and addresses at the end of summer - yes children we're settled at the middle of the 90s, people still had phone calls and send letters - with the promise of keeping in touch.


End file.
